Jerry Flay's responds to political inertia in the wake of the Brussels terror attacksLast week she chained herself to the railings in the Grote Markt in protest against the continued involvement of western militaries in Syria. Today she is dead, smeared across the walls and floor of Zaventem Airport.Last week she would have told you that the suicide bombings were our own fault, that they were revenge for our interference in the Middle East, for our campaigns against Islam. And yet she died: blown to pieces, a victim of an indiscriminate act. Indiscriminate because it is an act of reprisal designed to terrorise., to cow into submissionTo explode a bomb in a public place, and kill as many random victims as possible is an act calculated to cause maximum disruption and fear. It is the act of evil people, spurred on by evil ideology whose roots lie in an evil religion. And it has, so far, been highly successful.Our so-called leaders can offer nothing more than empty platitudes: "We must all, stand together", "It is an attack on us all" and "We unreservedly condemn such attacks". These are the words of cowards who would place their own political longevity above the lives of their constituents. Abject cowards.This not a time for words, it is a time for action. The security forces know the radicalised, they know the hate preachers, and they know the mosques where such acts are fomented. Just as the human rights of the victims in Brussels were put to one side, so must the human rights of these evildoers be put to one side, this time for the greater good.The human race is so far advanced on the road to hell that retracing our steps and seeking a better option at the crossroads may no longer be possible.But we can at least go to hell our own way, in the knowledge that at the end we sought redemption by doing what was right, by realising that sometimes the minority must lose at the expense of the majority.Islam must be part of the solution. We call upon the Catholic church to take responsibility for those of its priests who sexually molest children. Why should we not hold Islam accountable for the actions of some of its adherents? If someone continually commits a crime in your name, you have two choices: to ignore it and suffer the resultant loss of reputation, or to end their behaviour.It is in human nature to suspect the former option suggests a certain sympathy for the criminals. There is a phrase doing the rounds right now: not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.There's enough perceived truth in that for it to signify a common enemy to the peoples of Europe. Continued inaction by governments can lead in only one direction, a further radicalisation of those who see it as true.In several countries we are witnessing a rise of the far right. We see images of citizen’s vigilante patrols on the streets. How much more government inaction, how many more Islamic atrocities before the people take matters into their own hands, presumably with a lack of discrimination that matches or exceeds that of the suicide bombers?Can you imagine that? Gangs of shaved haired thugs roaming the streets carrying out random acts of violence on people who "looked like" Muslims?And all because our governments were worried about alienating a segment of potential voters. It disgusts me.

So what would you do if you were Merkel, Cameron, Obama et al Jerry..... Trump? What's your solution ?

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Jerry

24/3/2016 06:03:46 pm

Well Kev, thankfully I am not - I have never had such a high opinion of myself that I would think to lead a country.
But if I were in their position?
Well, for starters I would round up and intern all those with proven links to terror. I would refuse re-entry to anyone who had gone off to fight for terrorist organisations. I would intern all hate preachers and close down their mosques.
Yes, I'd probably infringe a human rights along the way, but to me protecting the innocent majority is far more important.
I accept that you have an entirely different perspective, and I respect that. Neither of us are right, and neither of us are wrong.
But I will dispute the concept that such measures as I have suggested will result in radicalisation. Radicalisation is something that takes many years and a great deal of brainwashing from those who take Chapter 9 of the Qran literally.
So my approach is combative and preventative. And should these attacks continue, then at some point it will be tried, and then we'll find out how effective it is.

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Kev

25/3/2016 08:19:18 am

Not unreasonable at all and no I don't necessarily disagree. If either of us knew the answer we'd probably shot in the head.

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RockyJ

25/3/2016 06:26:43 pm

My question for both of you is would a NATO led coalition invasion of ISIS held territory in Syria and Iraq be feasible? Would it eliminate home grown terrorism?
Could Russia be part of it?

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Political Newbie

26/3/2016 04:11:37 am

One of the reasons NZ is so popular to immigrants is that it is seen as very safe from terrorism.

It only takes 1 terror attack in NZ & that will send thousands away & NZ won't be so desirable to immigrants anymore.

Only a matter of time, terrorism has hit us before, remember the Rainbow Warrior?
Also I seem to remember a small plane was hijacked by an Islamic in the South Island a few yeas ago.

A good side effect might be that housing would become affordable again.

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Kev A

29/3/2016 09:10:08 am

I really don't see why terrorism should come to NZ though. As long as we keep our head down and stay well clear of grandstanding on the political stage. The best defense is no offence. By all means support the efforts to rid ISIS. I don't think radicalisation of Kiwi Muslims is inevitable at all. The oes I know love the place and are mortified by being associated in religion with the medieval nutters of ISIS and Saudi.

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Jerry

29/3/2016 06:48:35 pm

It depends if you follow the line that Muslim terrorism is reactive, or if you think it is proactive. I mean, just suppose Islam was planning to eradicate opposition and force an Islamic life on all of us, then it would make sense for it's adherents to keep schtum and remain in place as fuses waiting to be lit. And given the potential for reprisals, they are hardly likely to start spouting off in a negative way about life in NZ, are they?
I really don't know, to be honest. I have studied the Qura'an, and there is much within it that troubles me. I also have enormous concerns about Wahabism, and it's place in Saudi Arabia, given their wealth and influence. I have heard the vitriolic diatribes of clerics in Mosques throughout the civilised world and found them appalling.
Perhaps it's just a case of never the twain shall meet, and we best all keep to our own patches.

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